Do grey squirrels kill red squirrels

The eastern grey squirrel carries a disease, the squirrel parapoxvirus, that does not appear to affect their health but will often kill the red squirrel. Thanks for using ChaCha, & remember to call 1-800-2ChaCha for unlimited questions! [ Source: http://www.chacha.com/question/do-grey-squirrels-kill-red-squirrels ]

More Answers to "Do grey squirrels kill red squirrels"

Is it ethical to kill grey squirrels to try and preserve red squi...?

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080928151548AAfu5ZB

No. But that has never stopped man doing things before. Not so long ago the red squirrel was as common as the grey is today. So man decided that they were 'a pest' and slaughtered, sorry 'culled', them all. They even put a bounty on each re...

Do red squirrels attack grey squirrels?

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No. Red squirrels and grey squirrels are from the same family. that doesn't mean a red squirrel can have grey squirrel babies, or the opposite. Red squirrels could get angry at grey squirrels, I mean, you could attack anyone or anything. Bu...

It really depends on which "Red Squirrel" you're referring to. There are two different species of Red Squirrels. The Eurasian Red Squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris ) lives all over the northern Europe and some parts of Russia while the ...

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Why do people say that grey squirrels kill red squirrels?

Q: Why do people say that if you put a grey squirrel and a red squirrel together, the grey squirrel would kill the red squirrel. Why? grey squirrels don't kill grey squirrels so why would a grey squirrel kill a red squirrel?Thanks for answering

A: Grey squirrels are a lot bigger, so may very well physically kill them. They are also agressive with their territory, so forcing red squirrels out. However, it is the disease they carry that has wiped out red squirrels. They are immune to it themselves, but it spread to the red squirrels who are not immune to it. Red squirrels have now been wiped out in the UK apart from a few small locations. The best and largest remaining habitat for red squirrels in the UK is the Isle of Wight. Grey and red squirrels generally have different diets. Grey squirrels eat mainly nuts and seeds, whereas red squirrels eat mainly fir cones. Red squirrels are far shyer than grey squirrels. hope that's of some use to you! Holly xxx

Is it ethical to kill grey squirrels to try and preserve red squirrel numbers?

Q: Even though introduction of grey squirrels to UK, was due to human interference.Simply on the grounds of natural selection, do we have any right now to intervene if grey squirrels are genetically superior. how many grey squirrels is it ethical to cull to save 1 red squirrel,does anyone think it will make a difference, can humans alter evolution of a species.Why does a species not deserve to become extinct, that is the whole point of natural selection, if a species goes to the brink of extinction then it does not deserve to exist, its usefulness has long gone. Do people think that its possible to keep every current species on the planet alive forever.If we do we could deny the future evolution of future species in many many years to come.

A: No. But that has never stopped man doing things before. Not so long ago the red squirrel was as common as the grey is today. So man decided that they were 'a pest' and slaughtered, sorry 'culled', them all. They even put a bounty on each red killed! I say just leave them alone and let nature decide.

Do red squirrels tend to kill off, or even eat gray squirrels? Or is it the other way around?

Q: Gray squirrels in England are far, far more common than red squirrels. However, more possibly you would find red squirrels in California. So wich tend to run eachother out- gray squirrels or red squirrels? Or does it depend on the habitats?

A: Over the 20 year period the Red Squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) were almost all replaced by Greys (Sciurus carolinensis). There were some squares in the study in which Reds were lost but Greys were never recorded. This suggests there could not have been a direct antagonism. Also it evidently took up to 16 years for the Greys to take over, which implies slow ecological competition, not direct antagonism, at work.It is still unknown exactly how and why the Grey Squirrel 'takes over' the Red. It is thought however to be due to slow competition and ecological differences. There is no evidence to suggest that Grey Squirrels breed faster than Reds. The removal of Grey Squirrels on Anglesey has allowed the Red Squirrels to breed and the young to survive, emphasizing that it is the presence of Grey squirrels that is the real problem for Red Squirrels.